Portable sacramental and devotional altar



Sept. 14 1926. 1,600,107

' C. GAY

. PORTABLE SACRAMENTAL AND DEVOTIQNAL ALTAR Filed Feb. -14, 1924 2 sneets-sne'ci 1 WITNESSES y IN V EN TOR CHHRLES HY M BY 50M ATTORNEYS Sept. 14 1926.

c. GAY

I ORTABLE SACRAMENTAL AND DEVO IONAL ALTAR File 14 1924' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR CHHRLES Ga A TTOR NE VS WITNESSES mm as indicated by Patented Sept. 14, 1926.

UNITED STATES} PATENT OFFICE.

onAaLEseAx, or NEW HAVEN, oomvnoricur.

' PORTABLE sAoRAMEN'rAL Ann DEVOTIONAL ALTAB,

Application filed February 14, 1924.. Serial No. 692,931.

y invention relates to a portable altar of a characterto adapt it for sacramental A and devotional purposes in the home, hospital, or by missionaries, and particularly cabi equipped with a crucifix, the appurtenances for administering sacraments of baptism, communion, and treme unction.

net

the

The general object of my invention is to.

provide a portable cabinet altar outfit which be erected-in form for general may readily private devotional purposes in. the home or at public worship by a priest when on a mission,

in pastoral sick'calls' in the home or or assembled for sacramental use when carried by the priest to the sick as when one mission and when so carried in portable form on missions withoutt-he character the cabinet outfit being disclosed. The nature of my invention, guishing features clearly appear as Reference is to cation,

its distinand advantages 'will the description proceeds. be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specifi-v it being understood that the'drawings are merely illustrative of one example of the invention.

Figure'l is a front elevation of a portable altar embodying my invention showing the same set up in open position;

Figure 2 18 a in closedform;

front elevation of the altar Figure 3 is a transverse vertical section the line 33, Figure 2; Figure 4 is a plane indicated by the line H. Figure Figure 5 is a detail of the door latch the unfastenedposition of the doors;

horizontal section in the Figure 6 is a detail showing in rear elevation a hanger that may be employed suspend the cabinet on a wall or the like;

a Figure 7 is a perspective view of a napkin forming part of the altar outfit for sacramental purposes;

1 Figure 8 is a perspectiveview of an envelope partly broken away therein forming part of the altar outfit;

Figure 9 is a plan VlBW'Of one of the right.

self-locking devices for holdfixed and left-hand ing the doors of the cabinet open in. position while thc altar is in use; 7

I Fi through-the top piece 21 at the retainers when the cross is held by said retainers,-

to show the cotton re 10 is a horizontal section taken the , its erection within ner when the cabinet can,

upon the top of the i said retainers being covered with rubb plane of the sectionbeing line a-a in Figure 3.

indicated by, the

In carryingout my invention in practice flanges 13' at the outersides of the doors and at the top and bottom, said flanges being complementaryto and in the plane .of the sides and top and bottom of the cabinet lO-a'nd suitable latch means are provided,

for the door, therebeinga drop. handle 14: onone door and aswingable hook latch 15 pivoted to the opposite or the like. On the back of-the cabinet at the top I may provide as shown a. hanger 17 pivoted as at 18 and having a hole 19 that may be disposed above the cabinet to engage a nail or the like on a wall or similar support. For the carrying of the cabinet I have shown a. drop handle 20 securedto the top thereof to fold down ontothe top when the handle is not inuse or to be raised to a vertical position for the carrying of the cabinet. to the sick for the use of a priest on a sick call visit, and by priests who serve on missions. An ornamentaltop piec'e21 is provided in practice and detachably held tothe cabinet by one or more pins 121 which permit the detachment of the piece .21 and the cabinet in like manif desired, be

closed.

The crucifix 22 of my novel ialtar assemblage may have means to suspend it in the cabinet orv to hold it erect in the cabinet or same. In the illustrated example the lower end'of the crucifix 22 is adapted to be receivedin angularretainers I 23provided on the back 'of the top piece 21, er

tubing-to prevent marring of the cross.

door by a screw '16.

provide a hole or holesin' the cabinet cor-.

responding with the position-of the pinor. pins 121 so that said top'piece may be disposed on top of the cabinet at Pin holes are similarly providedin the bot tom of the cabinet 10 nearthe front, so that said top piece may be. positioned as shown in Figure 3 within the cabinet and holding the cross as'shown,

' I have also shown the crucifix 22 as equipped with a ianger 25 held by a screw "the front;

the lower end of the cross resting: on the "bottom of the cabinet.

1 with theopening ofthe or after the crucifix to a door, said 125 or the like, said hanger being adapted to engage a hook 26 depending from the under surface of the cabinet top.

A candle or candles being the necessary equipment of an altar, I providefor supporting'candlesticks in manner for their effective dispos tion when the altar issetup in the open position and at the same time make provision for the proper accommodation of the candlesticks in the closed cabinet. For the stated purpose I provide shelves 27 on the doors 11 at the inner sides and candlestichs 28 on said shelves. The shelves and their-supported ca ndlesticks are so positinned that with the swinging of the doors 11 to the closed position the shelves and Can- I dl'esticks With'outcandleswill have clearance at the sides of the crucifix 22 and will be acccml'n'odated in the "cabinet Without interference With the crucifix. At the same time doors the candlesticks'are displayedin attractive and eficient positions at the sides of the crucifix when the same is disposedsuspended in the cabinet has been erected ins de of the cabinet or on top of the cabinet.

hen the crucifix 22 is erected Within the cabinet at the front thereof and supported by the top piece 21 and the retaining elements 23 thereon, if the arms of'the crucifix are made in practice so low as to be in a plane adjacent the top of the candlesticks 28, then, the candles b may be removed and placed in the cabinet in any convenient locatron. asforexample standing in the ablut'ion cup 33.

lnorder to hold the doors 11 in fixedopen positions, I provide right and left handdoorholding devices 29 each swivellcd at one end devices at the opposite ends havinga hook formation as at 30. The devices 29 have sl ding movement in staples 130 depending from the cabinet top and when the cabinet is swung to the open position thedevices '29 have turning movement on the swivelled ends and sliding movement: in the staples 130, the hooks 30011 the de-v vices129 finally effecting such an engagement with the staples130 as to hold the doors against accidental closing movement.

communion plate 32 is provided necessary'part of the outfit andin order that the communion plate may be 'conveniently stored and"readily accessible and at the same time contribute materially to the appearance of the altar I support said on1 muni'on plate in a'vertical plane against the back of the/cabinet "on small hoolclike brac lretsfil covered with rubber tubing to protect the surface iottihe plate disposed on 'the cabinet back atiopp'osite sides of the vertical medial line. Thus, the communion platedicrms an ornamental .ground" at ca at the hack of the crucifix when suspended in the cabinet. I

With a view to complete the outfit for sacramental purposes an ablution cup 33 is provided and a holy Water bottle 34 as Well as a spoon 35. Furthermore, one or more napkins 36 are provided as Well as an envelope 3'? containing" cotton 38 for sacramental purposes. All the appurtenances of the altar are. stored Within the closed cabinet and withthe doors closed and latched, the cabinet may readily be carried by the handle on missions and on sick-calls Without the character or the purpose of the cabinet beingdisclosed.

I would state in conclusion that Whilillii illustrated example constitutes a practicalembodiment of my invention, I do not limit myself strictly to the exact details herein illustrated, since, 'manifestly, the same can be considerably varied Without departure from the pirit of the invention asdefined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: 7 j i l. A portable altar adapted for devotional and sacramental purposes,- said altar 'CO'IH- prising a cabinet having" a pair of doors hinged to the front portions of thegsides of the cabinet, a crucifix having dimensions to be accommodated in said 7 cabinet, means whereby to support said crucifix disposed in vertical position int-he cabinet and in spaced relation to the front,back and sides thereof, shelves on the cabinet doors at the inside, and candlesticlts on said shelves, said shelves and candlesticks: having clearance in the cabinet at the sides of the crucifix for the swinging of the doors to-the closed and open positions.

2. A portable'a'ltar adapted for devotional and sacramental purposes, said altar comprising a cabinet, swing doors on the cabinet, a crucifix having "dimensions to be. accommodated in said cabinet, and means to support said crucifix vertica ly" disposed in the cabinet and in spaced relationto the front,

.baclr and'sides thereof; together with a communion plate, and means to support :sai'cl communionplate onthe back of theca-blnet disposed was a back ground behind said '3. .Aportable altar adapted for devotional and sacramental purposes, said altar *GGIIF prising. a cabinet having a pair of. doors hinged to the front portions of the sides-of the cabinet, a crucifix having 'dimensionsto be accommodated in said cabinet,s:means whereby to support said crucifix. disposed in vertical position inthe cabinet and in spaced relation tothe front, back and sides thereof, shelv'esron the .cabinetidoo rsxat the inside, and :candlestiekson said shelves, said shelves and candlestioks having clearanc' the cabinet-at thesides ofzthe icruyci the swinging oft thedoorsfto the 'loscd ii P Pesitient, idhe i e p planes above the bottom of thecabinet at an elevation to provide storage space in the cabinet below said of the crucifix.

4. A portable altar for devotional and sacramental purposes, said altar comprising r a cabinet, a crucifix, an element having shelves at opposite sides 7 means to hold said crucifix in upright position, and-coacting means onthe cabinet and on said element to detachably secure said 10 element to the cabinet top or to the bottom of the cabinet at the interior.

CHARLES GAY. 

